Section C
1. Outline the composition of bone, the structure of a long bone and explain the functions of the skeleton?
Bone mainly consists of collagen fibres and …show more content…
While cortical bone accounts for 80% of the mass of bone in the human body, it has a much lower surface area than cancellous bone due to its lower porosity.
Cancellous (or spongy) bone is located at the ends of long bones, accounts for roughly 20% of the total mass of the skeleton, and has an open, honeycomb structure. It has a much lower Young’s modulus than cortical bone, and this graded modulus gradually matches the properties of the cortical bone to the cartilage that forms the articulating surface on the femoral head.
The Bones of the skeleton protect the vital organs. The brain and eyes are protected by the skull, while the heart and lungs are protected by the ribcage. The skeleton also provides a framework for the human body. Without bones, the body would not be able to maintain its shape. Instead, skin, organs and blood vessels would all be in a pile on the ground. Tendons attach the muscles to the bones, which allow humans to walk, jump, talk and perform hundreds of other